Casing members of vacuum cleaners and latches therefor



Dec. 5, 1950 E. P. TURNER CASING MEMBERS OF VACUUM CLEANERS AND LATCl-IES THEREFOR 1 Filed March 24, 1948 m f/vme ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1950 "'GASING MEMBERS OFNACU UM CLEANERS AND-LATCHES .THE-R'EEOR Edgarl. 'TurnenfFanwoodjN.3., assignofto The Singer lvlanufacturing "Company, "Elizabeth, --N. .lH, .a :corporation-, of New Jersey ,AnplicationMarch 24, 1948, Serial Nob-16,716

l i Glaims.

This invention relates to .vacuum cleaners "and more parlticularly'to a latch means .by which the Muller and lower casing .shells of a vacuum cleaner can be fastenedtogether, gand one of the primary objects of the invention is to provide an improved device of ,this class.

Another object of the inventionisto provide a single latch meansthat is arranged to hold the lower shell of a vacuum cleaner casing securely to the uppershell.

Still another object oft-he invention is to provide an improved-vacuum cleaner latchtha'tcan easily "be manipulated by a housewife without "the use of tools or other "special equipment.

-With theseand other objects *in-v'iew, as'will 5 hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the devices, combinationsand arrangements of parts described in connection with the accompanying drawings, :which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention andin which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum cleaner embodying a preferred form of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a frag-mentary sectional View of the vacuum cleaner casing and taken substantially on the line 2-2 "of Fig. 1;

'Fig. 3 is an inverted perspective view of aportion of theyaCuum-cleaner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper'and lower-shells of thecleaner being fastened together by the latch of this invention; and

Fig. 4 is-a-viewsimilar to Fig. 3 excepttha't the latch members are disengaged and the upper and lower casing shells are separated.

Referring indetail-to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown as applied to a vacuum cleaner-having an ambulatory casing l! formedfrom an-upper casing shell 12 having vertical walls 12* and 'a'lower casing shell l3 having vertical walls 13 the two shells being joined on a'line indicated by the numeral M. The lower casing shell l3, which is substantially lJ-shaped when seen in plan view, is fastaped to the upper casing shell I2 by a latch (or catch means It hereinafter described. The-shell 12 is also U-shaped, in that it is formed to be joined by the shell l3 but instead .of being open between the arms of the U, the shell I2 .is closed by a top plate 12?.

.A c mbin ti n le tr c mo r nd an nit H v i s p t d in th cas n sh ls and t e whole vacuum cleaner moves on trout and rear wheels [8 and The ron wheels J ar rotatably supported irom the lOWer casin shell l3, and the rear wheels 19 are rotatably carried by an exhaustduct 2| lformed integral with ,a portion of themotQr-tannnit Il- A guiding and propelling handle 22 is pivotally carried ,by the vacuum cleaner-in a manner more fu ly described m prior Un ted .States patent application "Serial No. 784167,;i-l1ed November v5, .1'9'47. A dust bag 723 is attached, 'in any convenient manner, to the open outlet end ofth'e exhaust duct 21 and the upper end ofthis bag is supported from the handle'22 in a manner nother'ein shown.

Thelatch Hi, usedforla'stening the'lo'wer shell 1'3 to the upper "shell t2, includes a long "fiat steel "spring "i i and a "wire hook "25. "Substantially medianly of its length, the "spring '24 'istran'sversely provided with-a downwardly projecting U-shaped bend "26. The extreme 'ends M -2'4 "of the spring 24 are clamped between "downwardlyprojecting bosses 21, formed'integra'lwith the upper-casing shell l-Zyand ribs 28,'protruding from the 'm0tor fan-unit ll "the ribs 28 being held to the-bosses 2'! by screws 29. A *rib'Sl is formed-i-ntegral-with and depends'from a central-portion of "the upper shell top-plate 12 and this rib is providedon its rower or freeend with a concave seat 32 disposed within the bend'zfi.

When the latch "66 and the spring Here in the "unlatched position, shown-in-Figs. "2 and 4, the

U-s-ha-ped bent *portionifi of the spring 2' 1 fits over the lower endoi'the rib -31. The bent-portion 22 and the seat 3 2 journal a horizontally extendingstraig'ht axle-portion 3-3 of the hook 25. The hook 25 and a handle portion 36 are formed integral with and depend substantially at right angles, from opposite ends of the straightportion 33. Thehook25 is substantially :L-shaped in form and has a crooked end 38. The lhook 25 and its end 33 are so constructed and arranged that they can be made to engage aehannel'q'is formed in the lower surface of an -ovalsha ped lug or keeper il 'th'at'protrudes horinont'ally froman appropriate portion of the lower shell 1.3. Preferably thespring "2A is preloaded to such an extent that, ='\vh'en the hook 25 is in the unlatohed position (Fig. 4) no initial movement of the latch will 'berequired to bring the spring to a requisite clamping pressure.

Reference to 1 shows that the latch i5 positioned substantially midway between the.

front and rear edges of the shells l2 and I3, and reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 shows that the latch It is also positioned midway between the side edges of these shells. This is an important factor in making it possible to fasten the two easing "shells together by the use of a single latch securing means.

If the upper and lower casin shells l2 and i3 are-separated, as shown in Fig. l, they can be iastenedtogether by the latch or catch 16. To aecomplish this, the vacuum cleaner is placed in the inverted position shown in Fig. 4 with the bottom shell 13 on top of the upper shell i2, and with the hook 2 :3 resting on a stop 42 vformed integral with the upper shell l2. "The Vertical to walls Lit or the lower shell 13 are .moved into register with the vertical walls l2 of the upper shell I2. Then the handle portion 36 of the latch I6 is moved counterclockwise, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4. This causes the end 38 of the hook 25 to engage the channel 39 of the lug 4|. The crooked end 38 acts as a cam, and raises the hook 25 and its straight portion 33 against the tension of the spring Z l. As the end 38 of the hook moves along the channel 39 01" the lug 4!, the straight portion 33 of the hook 25 and U-shaped portion 26 of the spring 25 move away from the concave seat 32 of the rib 3|. As the handle 36 continues to move counterclockwise as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, the hook portion 25 finally assumes the position shown in Fig. 3, wherein the hook 25 fully. engages the lug l. Under these conditions, the spring 25 is flexed and securely holds the lower shell l3 to the upper shell l2.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, an upper casing shell having front, rear and a pair of spaced side edges, a U-shaped lower casing shell arranged to cooperate with said upper casing shell to form a complete vacuum cleaner casing, and a single latch arranged to fasten said casing shells together, said latch being located centrally between said front and rear edges and centrally between said pair of spaced side edges.

2. In a vacuum cleaner having an upper casing shell provided with front, rear and a pair of spaced side edges and a U-shaped lower casing shell arranged to cooperate with said upper casing shell to form a complete vacuum cleaner casing, a latch member on one of said shells, a second latch member on the other of said shells, and a third latch member arranged to connect said first and second latch members; two of said latch members being centrally located with respect to said front and rear edges and also with respect tosaid spaced side edges.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, an upper casing shell, a U-shaped lower casing shell arranged to cooperate with said upper casing shell to form a complete vacuum cleaner casing, spaced front and rear edges and spaced side edges for one of said casing shells, a latch arranged to engage one of said casin shells at a location positioned centrally between said front and rear edges and also centrally between said spaced side edges, and a spring arranged to bias said latch, said spring being connected to said other casing shell.

4. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casing shell and a lower casing shell, a single connecting means arranged to fasten said casing shells together, said single connecting means comprising a spring secured to one of said casing shells, a latch member carried by said spring, and a cooperating latch member secured to the other casing shell.

5. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casing shell and a lower casing shell, a single latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together, the latch comprising a flat steel spring secured at both of its ends to one of said casing shells, a wire latch member formed into the shape of a hook and carried by said spring, and second latch member engageable by said hook, said second latch member being secured to the other casing shell.

6. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casin shell and a lower casing shell, a single latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together, said latch being located centrally of the casing shells, the latch comprising a flat steel spring bent at its midpoint and secured at both of its ends to one of said casing shells, a latch member journaled in the bent portion of said spring, and a cooperating latch member in the form of a channelled lug carried by the other casing shell.

7. In a vacuum cleaner having a casin formed from an upper casing shell and a lower casing shell, a latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together; the latch comprising, a protruding lug carried by one of said casing shells, a flat-spring bent at its center and secured at both of its ends to the other casing shell, and a bent wire hook carried by said spring, and having a handle at one of its ends and a cam-like crook at the other end, the hook being so constructed and arranged as to engage said lug.

8. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casing shell and a lower casing shell, a latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together; the latch comprising, a channelled lug carried by one of said casing shells, a flat-spring provided medianly of its length with a U-shaped bend and secured at both of its ends to the other casing shell, and a bent wire member having a straight portion journaled in said U-shaped bend, a handle at one end of said straight portion and a cam-like hook at the other end thereof, the hook being so constructed and arranged as to engage said lug.

9. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casing shell and a lower casing shell, a latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together; the latch comprising, a protruding lug carried by a first of said casing shells, a flatspring bent at its center and secured at both of its ends to a second of said casing shells, a rib depending from the second casing shell and having a concave seat in its free end, and a bent wire hock carried by said spring and having a handle at one of its ends and a cam-like crook at the other end, the hook being so constructed and arranged as to engage said concave seat when the latch is unlatched and to engage said lug when the latch is latched.

10. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casing shell and a lower casing shell, a latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together, the latch comprising a channel shaped lug protruding horizontally from one of said casing shells, a fiat preloaded spring bent at its center and secured at both of its ends to the other casing shell, and a bent wire having a straight portion journaled in said bent portion or" said spring and having a hook portion and a handle portion depending from the straight portion, the hook portion being so constructed and arranged as to engage said lug and force said casing shells toward one another when said handle portion is properly manipulated.

11. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casing shell and a lower casing shell, a latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together, the latch comprising a channelled lug protruding horizontally from one of said casing hells; a flat preloaded spring having a U-shaped bend at its center and secured at both of its ends to the other casing shell; a bent wire having a straight portion journaled in said U-shaped bend of said spring, a hook portion having a crooked end, and a handle portion depending from the straight portion, the hook portion being so constructed and arranged as to engage said lug and force said casing shells toward one another when said handle portion is manipulated.

12. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing formed from an upper casing shell and a lower U-shaped casing shell, a latch arranged to fasten the casing shells together, the latch comprising a single channelled lug protruding horizontally from said lower casing shell, a single flat preloaded spring having a depending U-shaped bend medianly of its length, the spring being secured at both of its ends to the upper casing shell; a single rib depending from said upper shell and having on its lower end a concave seat disposed within the U-shaped bend in said spring, a single straight wire journaled by said concave end and said U-shaped bend in said spring, a single hook depending from one end of said straight wire and arranged to engage said lug, a single operating handle depending from the other end of said straight wire and arranged to move said hook; said hook and said lug when in engagement being arranged to hold the lower casing shell securely to said upper casing shell.

13. A vacuum cleaner casing comprising, complemental shell-members, a flat-spring having its opposite ends secured to one of said shell-members and transversely provided substantially medianly of its length with a U-shaped bend, a latch member pivotally mounted in said U -shaped bend 0f the spring, and a keeper carried by the other of said shell-members in position for engagement by said latch member, said spring biasing said latch away from said keeper.

14. A vacuum cleaner casing comprising, complemental shell-members, a fiat-spring having its opposite ends secured to a first one of said shellmembers and transversely provided substantially medianly of its length with a U-shaped bend, a rib extending from said first one of said shellmembers into said U-shaped bend, a latch member pivotally disposed between said rib and bend, and a keeper carried by a second one of said shell-members in position for engagement by said latch member, said spring biasing said latch away from said keeper.

EDGAR P. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 816,835 Zesiger Apr. 3, 1966 899,084 Thoits et a1. Sept. 22, 1908 1,068,465 Underwood July 29, 1913 1,224,391 Livingston May 1, 191'? 1,885,713 Hammerly Nov. 1, 1932 

